The abrasion resistance of a rubber compound may be an extremely important property depending on its application. This is especially the case where the application is in a tire tread. The greater the abrasion resistance, the greater the treadlife of the tire.
A common method to improve the abrasion resistance is to use increasing levels of low particle-size carbon blacks. Unfortunately, with increasing levels of carbon black, there is a concomitant reduction in rebound properties. Since the rolling resistance of a tire is correlated to rebound properties, one does not want to sacrifice one beneficial property (rolling resistance) for another (treadwear). Therefore, there exists a need for increasing the abrasion resistance of a rubber compound without a significant reduction in rebound properties.